Grass-crimping apparatus.



W. F. WYMAN.

GRASS GRIMPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 31, 1908.

W. F. WYMAN.

GRASS GRIMPING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 31, 1908.

Patent ed Nov. 16,1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. F. WYMAN.

GRASS GRIMPING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED DEC. 31, 1908.

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WILLIAM F. WYMAN, OF OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO JOSEPH A.

CRUM, OE OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN. l

GRASS-CEIMPING APPARATUS.

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM F. WrMaN, a citizen of'the United States, and resident of Oshkosh. in the county of Vmnebago and "State of \Viseonsiu, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grass- (lrinming .-\pparatus; and I do hereby dcclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptimi thereof.

My invention consists in what is hereinafter particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims of this specification, its object being to provide simple. economical and eliicient apparatus for crimping and. drying grasses of various kinds to form a cheap elastic non-resinous and preferably deodorized approximately fireproof, or slow burning if-ignitcd, packing and upholstery material designed as an economical substitute for the now expensive cxcelsior, said apparatus being especially designed for the conversion into a useful and profitable material of what in many places is a bountiful but waste product in the form of a coarse tough marsh grass that herbivorous animals will not eat. 7

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a central longitudinal vertical section view of the major-portion of an ap aratus in accordance with my invention or the purpose above specified; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Figs. 3, 4, and 5 transverse sections of parts of the apparatus, these views being respectively indlcated by lines 33, 4-4 and 5--5 of Fig. 1.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A indicates each of the side standards of a partly covered main frame, a top section B of the cover being in hinge-connection with the remainder of same to facilitate access to the underlying portion of the apparatus. An incline C between the standards at the front of the apparatus leads to an endless feedapron D the upper horizontal stretch of which travels over a support E and under a feed-roller that preferably comprises a pair of annular-heads F fast on a shaft G, and a series of covered rollers having rigid corerods the ends of which serve as journals engaging said heads. The apron D and the coverine of the rollers H are rubber or other suitable gripping material.

Each bearmg for the shaft G is a box 6 Specification 01' Letters latcnt.

Application filed December 31, 1908. Serial No. 470,230.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

a opposes upward yield of the box, a handscrew 0 being employed to regulate the tension of the spring.

In front of the feed-roll aforesaid is a longitudinally adjustable deflector I by which to regulate the thickness of grass material run )etween said feed-roll and the opposing apron, said material having been drawn through a comb J, from a receptacle K convenient to the operator at the front of the apparatus. rial serves to straighten the same before it. is spread on the aforesaid incline to find' its way to the feed-apron, which apron and the feed-roll maintain the parallel condition of the fibers of'said material and force the same between a pair of parallel meshing longitudinal corrugated crimping-rolls L, L, each of which is loose 011 a. stationary cylinder M and provided with hollow journals for steam-conductors f in communication with the cylinder, these steam-conductors being shown as central tubular extensions of the cylinder-heads. A cock-controlled steam-supply pipeg is fitted to one steamconductor' of each cylinder and an exhaust steam pipe It is fitted to theother steam-conductor of the same cylinder. To facilitate the escape of water-of-condensation from each cylinder, a siphon-pipe z is connected inside of said cylinder to the exhaust-steam conductor of same. By running the material between the heated meshing longitudinally corrugated roll a crimping and partial drying of the same is effected, said material belng preferably, deodorized and treated to a coating of fire-proofing material preliminary to its feed to the apparatus herein specified. r

i The 11 per crimping roll is journaled in boxes 7' or which the standards A are provided with bearings 7c, and springs m resist upward yield of said rolls, hand-screws a being employed to tension the springs. The lower crimplng-roll is journaledin station- This combing of the mate-- ary bearings wlth which the aforesaid standards are provided.

A drive-shaft N, for which the standards A are provided with bearings, is spur-geared to a journal of the lower crimping-roll, and

this ournal is in turn spur-geared to a journal of the upper crimpingroll, both rolls i said box to having the same speed somewhat faster than I such a box' w and an adjusting screw y for that of the pressure-roll above specitied, whereby prov1sion is had fora draw of the material fed between said crimping-rolls; and should the draw at any time be excessive, the rollers 11 of the feed roll will slip and turn in a direction opposite that of said roll as a whole to prevent breaking of said material. v

The crimped material passes down a chute from the crimping-rolls onto an endless screen-conveyor 1 some dustand chalt' from said material being drawn off through 'a screened fine 1) of" an air-drum (2 having a suction-outlet g, as well as other screened flues 1- leading from the. space in the app-a.- ra-tus over the conveyer. 'lhc conveyer is provided with lags s at suitable inteiw als apart, and a vibratory motion is imparted to said conveyer incidental to travel of its lags over cam-racks R supported on a box b having a blast-inlet t and a perforated top, a'stcam-coil '1 being arranged within heat the air forced therein to escape through its top,'said conveyor and the flues r into the drum Q aforesaid. 'lhe hot-air dries the crimped material carried by the conveyer P to the outlet chute U of the apparatus and dust and chatl' loosened from said material by the vibratory movement of said conveyer is carried off with said air. A The lags of the conveyer are attached at their ends to link-beltsu engaging sprocketwhecls 12 fast on suitably arranged supporting rollers 10 for the conveyer. Motion is transmitted from the upper crimping-roll to the feed-roll by means of sprocket-wheel and link-belt gear connecting the gear-journal of said crimping-roll with a journal of said feed-roll and by similar n'ieans motion is transmitted from the gear-pinion of the lower crimping-roll to one of the rolls 1) supportin the feed-apron as well as to one of the rollers w supporting the conveyer, said gear being clearly shown in Fig. 2.

()ne of the apron-rollers and one of the conveyer-rollers' may be journaled in adjustable boxes to provide for taking up slack,

.rolls, and means for county of Winnebago same being shown-in Fig. 2.

Various changes of detail may he made in the construction of the apparatus without departure from the scope of my invention as herein claimed.

I claim:

1. A grass-crimping apparatus comprising a feed-mechanism, means by which to straighten material on its way to said mechanism and to preserve the parallel condition of'the fibers of the -fed material, a pair of crimping rolls, an endless traveling vibratory screen-conveyer upon which material is discharged from said rolls, and means whereby a current of hot-air is forced through the conveyer and material thereon.

2. A grass-crimping apparatus comprising a feed-mechanism, means by which to straighten material on its way to said mechanism and to preserve the parallel condition of the fibers of the fed n'iaterial, a pair of crimping-rolls, an endless traveling screen conveyer upon which material is discharged from said rolls, a hot-air distributer box within the confines of the conveyer, and cam-racks on the box opposed to lags of said conveyer.

3. A grass-crimping apparatus comprising a feed-mechanism, means by which to straighten material on its way to said mechanism and to preserve the parallel condition of the fibers of the fed material, a pair of crimping-rolls and means for heating same, an endless vibratory traveling ctmveyer upon which material is discharged from the hot-air drying of the crimped material on the conveyor and for expulsion of dust and ehafi' loosened from said material.

In testimony that I have hereunto set my claim the foregoing I hand at ()skosh. in the sin in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM l1. \VYMAN.

\Vitnesses CHAS. OnLLnmcn, OLIVE E. Anson).

and State of W iscon 

